The Memphis shipping giant bailed after last Friday's announcement
that Echols would participate in a "fireside chat" Monday with
Commercial Appeal reporter James Dowd about how the world has changed
since he was imprisoned.

A FedEx spokeswoman said the conference agenda moved "pretty
significantly" away from the startup business and entrepreneurial agenda
that fits the FedEx brand.

"It's my understanding he's going to talk about how technology
changed, but that didn't match with our understanding of it being an
entrepreneurial, startup event," said FedEx's Shea Leordeanu.

"I think any corporation, when you're going to be involved in an event, you want to make sure it matches your brand."

Conference coordinator Kyle Sandler said he was informed of FedEx's
decision Wednesday morning. "I was told the FedEx name and the FedEx
brand could not be associated with a guest so polarizing within the city
of Memphis."

Sandler said the only significant change since FedEx signed on in December was the addition of Echols.

Listed by Forbes magazine as a must-attend conference for
entrepreneurs, it will include a Startup Village, speed pitch contests,
educational and networking forums and panel discussions featuring a
variety of speakers such as AOL cofounder and Startup America chairman
Steve Case.

Sandler said FedEx's sponsorship was coveted because of the company's
entrepreneurial legacy and founder Frederick W. Smith's support for the
Startup America Partnership, of which Smith is a board member. "This
position that they took strikes me as against that."

Echols spent 17 years on death row in Arkansas after his conviction
in the 1993 murders of three Cub Scouts in West Memphis. He and two
co-defendants were released from prison in August 2011, capping a
high-profile, star-studded campaign proclaiming their innocence and
debunking the prosecution case against them.

The campaign to exonerate the West Memphis Three has continued, with
the release of Echols' book "Life After Death" and an upcoming movie
about the case in postproduction. Echols remains a controversial figure
whose defenders include rock group Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, actor
Johnny Depp, the Dixie Chicks and film director Peter Jackson, but
others aren't convinced he's innocent.

The inaugural conference, coordinated by Nibletz.com co-founder
Sandler, had to be moved from The Peabody to the Convention Center to
accommodate a growing audience. More than 2,000 people and nearly 100
startup businesses have signed on to participate.

Leordeanu said FedEx's corporate logo was removed from the event website, www.everywhereelse.co, and FedEx had agreed to reimburse organizers for reprinting of the event program.

The website continued to list sponsors including the FedEx Institute
of Technology at University of Memphis, the Baker Donelson law firm,
LaunchTennessee, LaunchMemphis and Xtrant. Sandler said Xtrant had upped
its support and he was courting other sponsors.

"The event is obviously good for the community," he added. "The show will go on."

The Memphis shipping giant bailed after last Friday's announcement
that Echols would participate in a "fireside chat" Monday with
Commercial Appeal reporter James Dowd about how the world has changed
since he was imprisoned.

A FedEx spokeswoman said the conference agenda moved "pretty
significantly" away from the startup business and entrepreneurial agenda
that fits the FedEx brand.